On The Issues

On The Issues

Jobs and Economic Development:

Nevada has so much potential and I’m excited to continue to grow our economy in a way that taps into our many strengths: clean energy, a dynamic culture of entrepreneurship, tourism, arts, culture and our vibrant diversity.

My focus is on building an economy that works for everyone — not just the well-connected few. I want to create an economic environment in which start-ups, small business owners, and workers can all succeed.

We should be nurturing and supporting our local businesses and helping them find opportunities for growth. I’ll be small business owners’ biggest champion in Carson City. I want to help women and minority owned businesses expand into underserved neighborhoods by identifying areas of need and connecting these entrepreneurs with the resources they need to expand into these communities.

We should also continue to support arts and culture. One of my proudest achievements as an assemblywoman was getting the Smith Center for the Performing Arts built, which has helped create jobs and generated revenue for our local economy.

I fundamentally believe that our economy prospers when we support workers and small business owners and create a quality of life and business environment that makes our state attractive.

Education:

Every Nevada child deserves an opportunity to get a quality public education, regardless of their zip code, parents’ salary or ethnicity. As a public school special education teacher for 30 years, I know the difference a quality public education can make in a child’s life. But too many of our kids are in underperforming schools and we’ve failed to bring urgency to this issue. One of my top priorities as governor will be to fix the school funding formula.

Raiders Stadium Deal:

I’m a staunch opponent of this highly irresponsible and risky $750 million public subsidy giveaway — the most expensive public subsidy for a sports stadium in American history. This isn’t the most effective way to build our economy.

I was the only No vote on the County Commission, and I knew my position on this stadium would likely cost me some political support. But opposing this poor use of public funds, especially when our education system is drastically underfunded, was the right thing to do.

Income Inequality:

Nevada is one of only a few states with a widening income inequality gap in the past few years. To have a thriving economy, we need to ensure that everyone has the chance to secure a livable wage, support a family and get ahead.

We need to look at wage disparity in Nevada by occupation. I’ll do what I’ve done my whole life and reach out to a wide variety of groups like the Commission on Women, Chambers of Commerce and labor unions to solicit ideas, figure out solutions and deliver. Only by working together and getting everyone invested can we reverse this troubling trend.

Minimum Wage:

I’ve been a long-time proponent of ensuring that the minimum wage is a wage you can live on; I support enacting a living wage. While we should be focused on creating more higher-wage, family-supporting jobs, no Nevadan working full time should live in poverty.

Collective Bargaining:

I support collective bargaining for state and private sector employees.

Paid Sick Leave:

We should be making it easier to work and raise a family. A working parent shouldn’t have to choose between taking care of a sick child and excelling on the job – and this disproportionately impacts women. It’s also a matter of public health; it’s better for everyone to not have employees going to work while ill.

Environment:

Climate change is real and whether or not we act in the coming years will have a tremendous impact on future generations. I consistently speak out on a range of environmental issues, like protecting public lands, conservation and clean energy. I’m a life member of Sierra Club, and also belong to the Nature Conservancy and the Conservation League. I often work with great organizations like Battle Born Progress and PLAN who are fighting to protect our environment.

Red Rock:

I believe in protecting public lands and have been dismayed by the ongoing attacks by the Trump administration. As a member of Save Red Rock, I’ll always fight to preserve one of our state’s most beautiful areas; I’ve hiked and biked there for years. I’ll continue to push back against the big developer efforts to build up to 5,000 new homes right at the edge of this pristine conservation area. We must also continue to protect Tahoe, the Ruby Mountains, Gold Butte, Lehman Caves and many other wilderness and conservation areas.

Energy:

Clean energy isn’t just important for Nevada’s environmental future, it’s integral to our economic future as well. Nevada has taken important steps towards being a clean energy leader, but more must be done to diversify our economy and bring this growing industry into our state. I have long advocated for solar, geothermal and wind energy, and helped establish our state’s first solar and green building laws during my time in the legislature.

Healthcare:

I firmly believe that healthcare is a right, not a privilege. The Affordable Care Act was a huge step in the right direction, and as governor I would work to move Nevada in the direction of universal health care.

Women’s health:

I’m proud to be a fierce advocate for a woman’s right to make her own healthcare decisions. I’ll always stand up to Republican attempts to put the government between a woman and her doctor and I’ve always supported funding women’s health centers like Planned Parenthood. I fought to ensure that contraceptives were covered by insurance companies in the 90’s and expanded a domestic violence law to cover dating. In 2015 I received Southern Nevada Planned Parenthood’s Joyce Mack award.

LGBT Rights/Marriage equality:

I’ve always supported marriage equality. I’m proud to have received the Human Rights Campaign’s Community Ally award and have long been a member of the Stonewall Democrats. I wrote the legislation to require insurance companies to cover Hormone Replacement Therapy in the 1990’s. When I started the CCEA Teachers Health Trust in 1983, we covered domestic partners, when no one else was doing so.

Marijuana:

I pushed for marijuana legalization in the 1990’s, back when it was considered politically untenable. In 1999, I led the fight to reduce possession of small amounts of marijuana to a non-felony. In 2001, I wrote the medical marijuana law after the voters passed an initiative supporting it and in 2002 I was the spokesperson for the first recreational ballot initiative.

Immigration:

I fully support comprehensive immigration reform with a reasonable path to citizenship. I’ve fought to protect the DREAMers, young undocumented immigrants who were brought here as children, have done nothing wrong and who are working hard to build a better life. And I serve on the board of the nonprofit Dream Big. We need to stop tearing families apart with cruel and heartless immigration policies like the ones supported by President Trump.

Gun Safety:

While my husband was a hunter and a gun owner, I will stand up to the gun lobby and fight for common-sense gun reforms. It’s a shame that our Attorney GeneraI Adam Laxalt has refused to enforce the expanded background checks that half a million Nevadans demanded at the ballot box in 2016.

Voter Registration:

I support automatic voter registration for Nevadans. We need to make it easier, not harder, for people to vote.

President Trump:

I am routinely appalled by the president’s behavior, and I will never hesitate to stand up to him when it is in the best interest of Nevadans.